Bills owner axes general manager day after draft

Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula says that the team plans to move in a "new direction" and that firing general manager Doug Whaley (L), pictured in January 2017, was "not an easy decision"

Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley was fired on Sunday, one day after the NFL Draft ended and just three months after helping pick a new coach.

The Bills went 7-9 last season, their 17th consecutive campaign without a playoff berth, and was 30-34 in Whaley's four years as the team's general manager.

Bills co-owner Terry Pegula, who used Whatley's advice in January to hire Sean McDermott as coach to replace the fired Rex Ryan, said McDermott took a more active role in draft decisions last weekend.

The Bills swapped their first-round choice in the annual allocation of rights to new talent, the 10th overall pick, in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.

"After a thorough review of our football operations over the past several months, Kim and I informed Doug this morning that we will be moving in a new direction," said Pegula, who along with his wife owns the club.

"This was my decision. It was not an easy decision but I believe it's the right one for the future of the Buffalo Bills. Our search for a new general manager will begin immediately."

Among the available candidates for the Bills is recently fired Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, who worked with McDermott 10 years ago with the Philadelphia Eagles.